Doggie donors lend a helping paw

Blood drives fill a need for man's best friend

Ann Schneider and Dave Anderson of the Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank draw blood from Cooper, a yellow Labrador owned by Dr. Norman Roskin, a veterinarian at Sandy Spring Veterinary Hospital, during a recent canine blood drive. The Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank supplies more than half of all blood used by U.S. veterinary clinics.

Cooper, a 5-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, was so excited to give blood at Sandy Spring Veterinary Hospital that he slid and spun on the linoleum floor past the door on his way to the room where the procedure is done.

After conducting a brief physical examination, Anderson and Schneider lifted Cooper onto a table in the center of the room. Anderson lay on the table next to Cooper, draping his arms and legs over the dog to keep him stationary.

"It's a very loose hold," Schneider said, noting that it was a precaution meant to protect the patient.

Next, Schneider shaved a small patch of fur from Cooper's neck and carefully inserted the needle. The bag slowly filled with blood — up to a pint is not unusual for larger dogs, Schneider said.

Cooper's tail wagged as Schneider fed him peanut butter and treats while he lay on the table.

She said the blood is needed in veterinary hospitals for the same reasons humans need blood: operations, internal bleeding, immune diseases or injuries. Some dogs even suffer from forms of hemophilia, a disease that prevents blood from clotting properly.

Dogs have 13 blood types, compared with four human blood types. However, canine blood is much more forgiving in that only one type does not mix well with the others, Schneider said.

She added that having a dog donate blood is both important and easy.

"Two years ago a lot of owners wouldn't have pursued it," Schneider said. "A lot of people think their dogs won't do it, and they will."

She added that as with human blood, there are often shortages for dogs.

"We need more donors, more donors, more donors," she said.

Soon, Cooper finished his donation. He hopped down off the table and devoured a few more treats before being led from the room.

Within minutes, Duncan, a 5-year-old golden retriever, skittered into the room and began rummaging for treats.